the cleveland era-第3部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


lved　by　shifts　of　support　to　Grant。　But　in　the　preliminary　disputes　a　very　favorable　impression　had　been　made　upon　the　convention　by　General　Garfield；　who　was　not　himself　a　candidate　but　was　supporting　the　candidacy　of　John　Sherman；　who　stood　third　in　the　poll。　On　the　twenty…eighth　ballot；　two　votes　were　cast　for　Garfield；　although　he　protested　that　he　was　not　a　candidate　and　was　pledged　to　Sherman。　But　it　became　apparent　that　no　concentration　could　be　effected　on　any　other　candidate　to　prevent　the　nomination　of　Grant；　and　votes　now　turned　to　Garfield　so　rapidly　that　on　the　thirty…sixth　ballot　he　received　399；　a　clear　majority　of　the　whole。　The　adherents　of　Grant　stuck　to　him　to　the　end；　polling　306　votes　on　the　last　ballot　and　subsequently　deporting　themselves　as　those　who　had　made　a　proud　record　of　constancy。

The　Democratic　national　convention　nominated　General　Hancock；　which　was；　in　effect；　an　appeal　to　the　memories　and　sentiments　of　the　past；　as　their　candidate's　public　distinction　rested　upon　his　war　record。　The　canvass　was　marked　by　listlessness　and　indifference　on　the　part　of　the　general　public；　and　by　a　fury　of　calumny　on　the　part　of　the　politicians　directed　against　their　opponents。　Forgery　was　resorted　to　with　marked　effect　on　the　Pacific　coast；　where　a　letterthe　famous　Morey　letterin　which　Garfield's　handwriting　was　counterfeited；　was　circulated　expressing　unpopular　views　an　the　subject　of　Chinese　immigration。　The　forgery　was　issued　in　the　closing　days　of　the　canvass；　when　there　was　not　time　to　expose　it。　Arrangements　had　been　made　for　a　wide　distribution　of　facsimiles　which　exerted　a　strong　influence。　Hancock　won　five　out　of　the　six　electoral　votes　of　California　and　came　near　getting　the　three　votes　of　Oregon　also。　In　the　popular　vote　of　the　whole　country；　Garfield　had　a　plurality　of　less　than　ten　thousand　in　a　total　vote　of　over　nine　million。

The　peculiarities　of　the　party　system　which　has　been　developed　in　American　politics；　forces　upon　the　President　the　occupation　of　employment　agent　as　one　of　his　principal　engagements。　The　contention　over　official　patronage；　always　strong　and　ardent　upon　the　accession　of　every　new　President；　was　aggravated　in　Garfield's　case　by　the　factional　war　of　which　his　own　nomination　was　a　phase。　The　factions　of　the　Republican　party　in　New　York　at　this　period　were　known　as　the　〃Stalwarts〃　and　the　〃Half…Breeds；〃　the　former　adhering　to　the　leadership　of　Senator　Conkling；　the　latter　to　the　leadership　of　Mr。　Blaine；　whom　President　Garfield　had　appointed　to　be　his　Secretary　of　State。　Soon　after　the　inauguration　of　Garfield　it　became　manifest　that　he　would　favor　the　〃Half…Breeds〃；　but　under　the　Constitution　appointments　are　made　by　and　with　the　advice　and　consent　of　the　Senate　and　both　the　Senators　from　New　York　were　〃Stalwarts。〃　Although　the　Constitution　contemplates　the　action　of　the　entire　Senate　as　the　advisory　body　in　matters　of　appointment；　a　practice　had　been　established　by　which　the　Senators　from　each　State　were　accorded　the　right　to　dictate　appointments　in　their　respective　States。　According　to　Senator　Hoar；　when　he　entered　public　life　in　1869；　〃the　Senate　claimed　almost　the　entire　control　of　the　executive　function　of　appointment　to　office。。。。　What　was　called　'the　courtesy　of　the　Senate'　was　depended　upon　to　enable　a　Senator　to　dictate　to　the　executive　all　appointments　and　removals　in　his　territory。〃　This　practice　was　at　its　greatest　height　when　President　Garfield　challenged　the　system；　and　he　let　it　be　understood　that　he　would　insist　upon　his　constitutional　right　to　make　nominations　at　his　own　discretion。　When　Senator　Conkling　obtained　from　a　caucus　of　his　Republican　colleagues　an　expression　of　sympathy　with　his　position；　the　President　let　it　be　known　that　he　regarded　such　action　as　an　affront　and　he　withdrew　all　New　York　nominations　except　those　to　which　exception　had　been　taken　by　the　New　York　Senators；　thus　confronting　the　Senate　with　the　issue　whether　they　would　stand　by　the　new　Administration　or　would　follow　Conkling's　lead。

On　the　other　hand；　Senator　Conkling　and　his　adherents　declared　the　issue　to　be　simply　whether　competent　public　officials　should　be　removed　to　make　room　for　factional　favorites。　This　view　of　the　case　was　adopted　by　Vice…President　Arthur　and　by　Postmaster…General　James　of　Garfield's　own　Cabinet；　who；　with　New　York　Senators　Conkling　and　Platt；　signed　a　remonstrance　in　which　they　declared　that　in　their　belief　the　interests　of　the　public　service　would　not　be　promoted　by　the　changes　proposed。　These　changes　were　thus　described　in　a　letter　of　May　14；1881；　from　the　New　York　Senators　to　Governor　Cornell　of　New　York：

〃Some　weeks　ago；　the　President　sent　to　the　Senate　in　a　group　the　nominations　of　several　persons　for　public　offices　already　filled。　One　of　these　offices　is　the　Collectorship　of　the　Port　of　New　York；　now　held　by　General　Merritt；　another　is　the　consul　generalship　at　London；　now　held　by　General　Badeau；　another　is　Charge　d'Affaires　to　Denmark；　held　by　Mr。　Cramer；　another　is　the　mission　to　Switzerland；　held　by　Mr。　Fish；　a　son　of　the　former　Secretary　of　State。。。。　It　was　proposed　to　displace　them　all；　not　for　any　alleged　fault　of　theirs；　or　for　any　alleged　need　or　advantage　of　the　public　service；　but　in　order　to　give　the　great　offices　of　Collector　of　the　Port　of　New　York　to　Mr。　William　H。　Robertson　as　a　'reward'　for　certain　acts　of　his；　said　to　have　aided　in　making　the　nomination　of　General　Garfield　possible。。。。　We　have　not　attempted　to　'dictate；'　nor　have　we　asked　the　nomination　of　one　person　to　any　office　in　the　State。〃

Except　in　the　case　of　their　remonstrance　against　the　Robertson　appointment；　they　had　〃never　even　expressed　an　opinion　to　the　President　in　any　case　unless　questioned　in　regard　to　it。〃　Along　with　this　statement　the　New　York　Senators　transmitted　their　resignations；　saying　〃we　hold　it　respectful　and　becoming　to　make　room　for　those　who　may　correct　all　the　errors　we　have　made；　and　interpret　aright　all　the　duties　we　have　misconceived。〃

The　New　York　Legislature　was　then　in　session。　Conkling　and　Platt　offered　themselves　as　candidates　for　reelection；　and　a　protracted　factional　struggle　ensued；　in　the　course　of　which；　the　nation　was　shocked　by　the　news　that　President　Garfield　had　been　assassinated　by　a　disappointed　once　seeker　in　a　Washington　railway　station　on　July　2；　1881。　The　President　died　from　the　effects　of　the　wound　on　the　19th　of　September。　Meanwhile；　the　contest　in　the　New　York　Legislature　continued　until　the　22d　of　July　when　the　deadlock　was　broken　by　the　election　of　Warner　Miller　and　Elbridge　G。　Lapham　to　fill　the　vacancies。

The　deep　disgust　with　which　the　nation　regarded　this　factional　war；　and　the　horror　inspired　by　the　assassination　of　President　Garfield；　produced　a　revulsion　of　public　opinion　in　favor　of　civil　service　reform　so　energetic　as　to　overcome　congressional　antipathy。　Senator　Pendleton's　bill　to　introduce　the　merit　system；　which　had　been　pending　for　nearly　two　years；　was　passed　by　the　Senate　on　December　27；　1882；　and　by　the　House　on　January　4；　1883。　The　importance　of　the　act　lay　in　its　recognition　of　the　principles　of　the　reform　and　in　its　provision　of　means　by　which　the　President　could　apply　those　principles。　A　Civil　Service　Commission　was　created；　and　the　President　was　authorized　to　classify　the　Civil　Service　and　to　provide　selection　by　competitive　examination　for　all　appointments　to　the　service　thus　classified。　The　law　was　essentially　an　enabling　act；　and　its　practical　efficacy　was　contingent　upon　executive　discretion。



CHAPTER　II。　POLITICAL　GROPING　AND　PARTY　FLUCTUATION

President　Garfield's　career　was　cut　short　so　soon　after　his　accession　to　office；　that　he　had　no　opportunity　of　showing　whether　he　had　the　will　and　the　power　to　obtain　action　for　the　redress　of　public　grievances；　which　the　congressional　factions　were　disposed　to　ignore。　His　experience　and　his　attainments　were　such　as　should　have　qualified　him　for　the　task；　and　in　his　public　life　he　had　shown　firmness　of　character。　His　courageous　opposition　to　the　greenback　movement　in　Ohio　had　been　of　great　service　to　the　nation　in　maintaining　the　standard　of　value。　When　a　party　convention　in　his　district　passed　resolutions　in　favor　of　paying　interest　on　the　bonds　with　paper　instead　of　coin；　he　gave　a　rare　instance　of　political　intrepidity　by　declaring　that　he　would　not　accept　the　nomination　on　such　a　platform。　It　was　the　deliberate　opinion　of　Senator　Hoar；　who　knew　Garfield　intimately；　that　〃next　to　the　assassination　of　Lincoln；　his　death　was　the　greatest　national　misfortune　ever　caused　to　this　country　by　the　loss　of　a　single　life。〃

The　lingering　illness　of　President　Garfield　raised　a　serious　question　about　presidential　authority　which　is　still　unsettled。　For　over　two　months　before　he　died　he　was　unable　to　attend　to　any　duties　of　office。　The　Constitution　provides　that　〃in　case　of　the　removal　of　the　President　from　office；　or　of　his　death；　resignation；　or　inability　to　discharge　the　powers　and　duties　of　the　said　office；　the　same　shall　devolve　on　the　Vice…President。〃　What　is　the　practical　significance　of　the　term　〃inability〃？　If　it　should　be　accepted　in　its　ordinary　meaning；　a　prostrating　illness　would　be　regarded　as　sufficient　reason　for　allowing　the　Vice…President　to　assume　presidential　responsibility。　Though　there　was　much　quiet　discussion　of　the　problem；　no　attempt　was　made　to　press　a　decision。　After　Garfield　died；　President　Arthur；　on　succeeding　to　the　office；　took　up　the　matter　in　his　first　annual　message；　putting　a　number　of　queries　as　to　the　actual　significance　of　the　language　of　the　Constitutionqueries　which　have　yet　to　be　answered。　The　rights　and　duties　of　the　Vice…President　in　this　particular　are　dangerously　vague。　The　situation　is　complicated　by　a　peculiarity　of　the　electoral　system。　In　theory；　by　electing　a　President　the　nation　expresses　its　will　respecting　public　policy；　but　in　practice　the　candidate　for　President　may　be　an　exponent　of　one　school　of　opinion　and　the　candidate　for　Vice…President　may　represent　another　view。　It　is　impossible　for　a　voter　to　discriminate　between　the　two；　he　cannot　vote　for　the　candidate　for　President　without　voting　for　the　candidate　for　Vice…President；　since　he　does　not　vote　directly　for　the　candidates　themselves　but　for　the　part